"I'm hoping he did not harm you," said Shawn mildly. The eyes were altogether black; the smile remained. "No murderer, Ben. He acted at command of a certain voice--more of that later too, you wouldn't be understanding it now. As for striking you--mere shipboard discipline, Cory. You might be thanking him for that one day, when you've come around to learning how to obey a captain's orders." "If I understand your meaning, I will have no part of it." "Can you walk on water? Swim among the fishes?" "That's not worth an answer," said Ben, and he heard Manuel suck in his breath as if in pain, but would not look his way. "I met you last night in friendship. I came aboard here, and drank with you as a friend because I supposed you to be one. Oh, my brother...." "Your brother?" Terror stabbed at Ben, and caution gave him wisdom. He had almost said: "My brother was right, and you no friend." It was possible that some day Shawn would be ashore again, where Reuben was. "Nothing about my brother," said Ben--"merely that he told me I ought not to set my heart on sailing, as I did. I told you how I had hoped for it, and you knew last night, you know this moment that I meant it honest--not this, not this--I say I'll never have no part of it." "But," said Shawn peacefully, "I must have an answer to what I asked. Do you wish to live?" "Yes, like any man. Not at cost of betraying my own people or doing what my heart refuses." "Why, that's very bravely spoken." "You thought I'd help you take _Artemis_?" "Oh," said Shawn, and took out the copper coin and frowned at it. "Who's to know all the whims of a green boy?" "Whims, Mr. Shawn? Well, not that or any other dirty piracy." "Oh!" said Shawn again, and held up the coin, turning it about in the gray light. His forehead was damp, perhaps from the spray. "A St. Patrick farthing, Beneen. From Dromore. Sometimes I'm wondering why I keep it. Not much there, ha, to make a man think of the green land?... Well, you'll forget you said that--in time, time. Your heart, is it? And so, do you see, it's your heart I must teach. I must change it, the way you'll be breaking the old bonds and will sail with me to the new lands. Time--that's all. The old gray mother'll give you the truth of it, and I'll change your heart." "That no one can do." "But I can," said Shawn, and strode away smiling.... _Artemis_ was overtaken on the third day. The weather shone fair, the winds themselves giving Shawn their favor, mild westerlies holding, shifting on the third day a little toward the northwest. The island, as Shawn had said, was a faraway thing, at times not visible, reappearing as the blue fragment of a dream. It was early morning, and Shawn, fortunate in this too, had tacked well away to the southeast of the island when the clean white of new sail first appeared. Shawn needed only a moment's study through his glass. His face, that had been smiling, changed to an ivory stillness, and he took the helm.